Discover the reasons behind these South Korean celebrities’ status as the wealthiest K-pop idols

From chart-topping hit singles and multiple platinum albums to luxury brand collaborations, silver screen appearances and real estate investments, get the scoop on the richest Korean idols and discover who’s making the big bucks in the world of K-pop. Over the last two decades, Korean music has enjoyed massive success, with its musicians creating a phenomenal K-pop fandom both within the country and beyond its borders. Additionally, the Hallyu wave has not just propelled an entire new generation of Korean actors into the global limelight but also introduced the world to some of the biggest names in the Korean music industry. Be it South Korean singer PSY from the “Gangnam Style” fame or the BTS members Jungkook and V, these K-pop idols have successfully solidified their solo as well as group music careers, along with minting lucrative brand deals and performing at sold-out concerts, which further augments their exponential net worths. Know what makes these South Korean celebrities the richest K-pop idols PSY Image: Courtesy IMDb Estimated net worth: USD 60 million Park Jae-sang, popularly known by his stage name PSY, is a successful South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer. One of the richest K-pop idols, PSY gained international fame after releasing the catchy title track “Gangnam Style” from his sixth album, Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1, in 2012. On 21 August 2012, the song topped the iTunes Music Video Charts, surpassing hits by the likes of Justin Bieber and Katy Perry. On 24 November of the same year, “Gangnam Style” became the most-viewed video in YouTube history up to that date. As of 2023, it has been viewed over 4 billion times on the video streaming channel. The K-pop star, who formed his own company, P Nation, in 2019, has other hit tracks to his credit as well. These include “Right Now”, “It’s Art”, “Urbanite” and “That That”. The last one, a collaborative effort with BTS rapper Suga, surpassed 200 million streams on Spotify in May 2023. The song went on to win Best Collaboration at the 2022 MAMA Awards and debuted at #80 on Billboard Hot 100. Besides music and group performances, the singer-rapper has also ventured into the world of ads and commercials. PSY was announced as the brand ambassador for the popular MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) set, Ragnarok Origin, in 2022. According to sources, the celebrity earns an estimated USD 8 million from endorsement deals with brands like Samsung and Cruciani. Furthermore, PSY is the proud owner of a USD 1.25 million condo on Wilshire Boulevard in the heart of Los Angeles, US. The musician also owns an independent coffee shop-cum-art gallery named Takeout Drawing in Itaewon, Seoul, valued at USD 50 million. IU Image: Courtesy IMDb Estimated net worth: USD 40-45 million From ruling the music and fashion industry to sweeping accolades for her performances in multiple K-dramas and movies, singer Lee Ji Eun, aka IU, has established herself as one of the most successful Hallyu stars of the era. It was in April 2009 that IU released her first album, Growing Up. It sold over 31,000 copies in Korea’s Circle Gaon chart and gave IU her first Top 25 hits “Boo” and “Hey (Rock Ver.)”. Some of her other hit tracks are “Strawberry Moon”, “Lilac”, “eight” and “Celebrity”. Furthermore, her collaboration with rapper Agust D for “People Pt.2” in 2023 earned her the #1 spot on Billboard Digital Song Sales. The “Lilac” singer made her acting debut in 2011 with the TV series Dream High. She also made her Cannes Film Festival debut with the 2022 movie Broker. Her April 2023 movie Dream became the first Korean film to land atop the box office within 50 days of its release since The Devil’s Deal in March 2023. Meanwhile, IU’s upcoming project, Thank You for Your Hard Work, co-starring Park Bo-gum, is set to premiere on Netflix in 2025. IU has also endorsed a huge array of brands, including video games, clothing brands, cosmetics and confectionery. She has also been the face of brands like Samsung, Nongshim, ISOI, The Same, Qdush (China), G by Guess, Woori Financial Group, Chamisul Soju, Jeju Samdasoo and Homeplus. Additionally, the singer was made the global ambassador for the luxury fashion house Gucci in March 2022. As for luxury properties, IU is the owner of a lavish penthouse worth USD 11.7 million in Eterno Cheongdam, Seoul. She also owns residences in Bangbae, Yangpyeong-gun and Gwacheon. Taeyang Image: Courtesy Taeyang/Instagram Estimated net worth: USD 40 million Dong Young-bae, aka Taeyang, of the K-pop group BIGBANG is known for his musical prowess and magnetic stage presence. He is also among the richest idols in K-pop. While most of his earnings come from his music, luxury fashion collaborations and shareholdings in one of the biggest entertainment agencies in South Korea, YG Entertainment, also add immensely to his ever-growing net worth. According to The Korea Herald, Taeyang and his fellow BIGBANG member G-Dragon invested about USD 3 million in their former agency, YG Entertainment, in 2016. Meanwhile, Taeyang and his wife, actor Min Hyo-rin, own a property worth USD 13.2 million in Hannam-dong, Seoul. Taeyang has a 94 per cent share of the property’s ownership, while the remaining 6 per cent belongs to his wife, reports the South China Morning Post. Taeyang has a stunning red Lexus worth USD 95,000 as well. Not to forget, Taeyang’s expensive curation by the popular Korean-American artist Nam June Paik, which is reportedly over USD 500,000. Taeyang is also the first ever Korean male artist to become the face of the French luxury brand Givenchy. The singer was announced as the brand’s global ambassador in January 2023. Of late, a brand collaboration between Taeyang and the Japanese streetwear designer Hiroshi Fujiwara’s brand, Fragment, led to a special merchandise drop in the shape of flannels, caps and tees in August 2023. J-Hope Image: Courtesy J-Hope/Instagram Estimated net worth: USD 24-26 million One of the richest K-pop idols, Jung Ho-seok, aka J-Hope, is also the wealthiest member of BTS. The rapper has amassed his massive wealth mostly through BTS music production, album sales and songwriting. The group’s main dancer, J-Hope is also a soloist with several chartbreaking records to his name. He released his first solo mixtape, Hope World, in 2018. Other milestones to his credit are hit singles like “Chicken Noodle Soup” feat Becky G, “On the Street” with J. Cole and his 2022 album Jack in the Box. Additionally, the latter became the most streamed album by a Korean Soloist in 2022 and garnered 345.1 million streams on Spotify. Besides music production, J-Hope’s high-end brand collaborations make a massive addition to his staggering net worth. The rapper became Louis Vuitton’s house ambassador on 24 January 2023. The K-pop star has also been featured in multiple commercials with national and international brands, such as PUMA’s Blaze of Glory (BOG) Sock sneaker campaign, LG and Samsung. Additionally, the singer also owns a luxury apartment in Seoul’s Forest Trimage complex. The apartment was bought for USD 1.2 million in 2016, making J-Hope the first BTS member to buy his own abode. According to the South China Morning Post, the “1 Verse” crooner went on to buy a second unit in the same complex alongside his bandmate Jungkook. The rapper is also the owner of Porsche Carrera 911, which costs about USD 84,000. Suga Image: Courtesy Weverse Estimated net worth: USD 23-25 million BTS’ lead rapper, Suga has collaborated with many international artists, such as Halsey, ØMI and Steve Aoki as a part of BTS and worked on solo projects under his alias Agust D. His latest global tour, D-Day, became the highest-grossing concert by a Korean soloist in US history, collecting USD 2.970 million each night at UBS Arena in New York on 26-27 April 2023. One of the richest K-pop idols and the second-richest BTS member, Suga has written and produced over 70 songs for BTS, singers IU, PSY and other musicians. Besides music, Suga has also ventured into the fashion world. The K-pop idol became Valentino’s global brand ambassador on 17 January 2023 and is now the face of the brand’s Maison Valentino Essentials campaign for men. He has also joined the brand’s Di.VA ambassador family alongside celebrities like British F1 racer Lewis Hamilton and Li Ronghao. Another feat added to his list of brand collaborations includes…